Hotspot Shield for Mac

Hotspot Shield for Mac gives you the ability to surf the Internet securely, even when you're connected to public Wi-Fi networks. You can turn on or off your protection at any time, and you can see clearly what the app is doing to protect you through its straightforward interface.

Pros

Flexible plans: Depending on how much you think you'll use the Hotspot Shield, you can pick a payment option that fits your needs. For example, you can purchase a whole year of unlimited coverage for $29.95, one month's worth of service for $4.99, or 20 passes for $10. On the left side of the interface, you'll see how much time or how many passes you have left, and an option to purchase more. And you do get a few days to try out the program before you have to commit to buying any time.

Quick walk-through: While this app doesn't have an overly complicated interface, it is nice to get a little tour. And that's exactly what the program provides with a quick tutorial that highlights different aspects of the display to explain each in a bit more detail.

Cons

Interference: This program can interfere with your ability to log on to certain sites because of the way it masks your IP address. In fact, using Gmail can be a bit of a hassle, because the random locations Hotspot Shield shows you logging in from trigger Gmail's built-in security features, so you may get blocked from logging in and receive messages about unauthorized attempts to access your account.

Bottom Line

If you often log on to the Internet using public Wi-Fi networks, this app can be a good investment. It works as intended, and it shows you exactly what threats it's blocked and how much data is going in and out of your computer while it's turned on. Just be aware that you may have issues accessing some of your key sites.